"I knew that Thou art a gracious and compassionate God. "
Jonah 4:2
SECOND-CHANCE GRACE
Read It: Jonah 4:1-11
Jonah 4:2 is so full of good news that we could end today's study right here and go away blessed. I love what this says. When you repent, God's heart will melt because He loves you so much He stands ready to shift His wrath to mercy. All of us need that. We need a God who will-relent when we repent (see 3:10). The problem is that we are so unlike God. The story of Jonah would be a lot easier to understand if it ended here. But Jonah still hated the Ninevites, so when God brought revival, Jonah pouted. Like I said on Monday, Jonah got mad because his second shot hit the mark! He asked God to take him (v. 3). If I were God, I would have accommodated the boy by now. But our gracious God prepared an object lesson for Jonah. He said, `Jonah, it's a little hot outside today, isn't it? How about a little shade?" Please notice what we've got here.
The wind obeyed God; the sea obeyed God; the sailors obeyed God; the fish obeyed God; the Ninevites obeyed God; this plant obeyed God; and soon a worm is going to obey God. But the preacher. . . Wait a minute. I want to know how the story ends. I want to know what my man Jonah did. Why does the story end here? Because God is asking us what He asked Jonah: "What are you going to do with My grace and compassion?" If you have ever strayed from the will of God and come back, if God has ever given you a second chance, what are you going to do with it? And if you see someone else out of God's will, are you going to write that person off or reach out and try to bring him or her back like God brought you back? See, we don't deserve what we have, but God in His grace has appointed circumstances that have transformed our lives. That means you and I get what Jonah got-which is a second chance and a third chance and a fourth chance and a hundredth chance. Let's not misuse His grace. Think About It God would love to restore you, to restore your family, to bless you. All you have to do is turn back to Him.
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